Speed skating is a competitive form of ice skating in which the competitors race each other in travelling a certain distance on skates. Types of speed skating are long-track speed skating, short-track speed skating, and marathon speed skating. In the Olympic Games, long-track speed skating is usually referred to as just "speed skating", while short-track speed skating is known as "short track". The International Skating Union (ISU), the governing body of competitive ice sports, refers to long track as "speed skating" and short track as "short track skating".
At the 1932 Winter Olympics, four speed skating events were contested. For the only time in the Olympic history, the speed skating were held as pack-style events, having all competitors skate at the same time. Women were allowed to compete in speed skating for the first time in history in a set of demonstration events. The IOC was reluctant to upgrade women’s events to full medal events, although the organizing committee of the Games advocated for the full inclusion of women’s events. The distances for women were 500 m, 1000 m and 1500 m. The pack-style racing would pave the way for short track speed skating, that would debut as a demonstration event at the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary before becoming an official Olympic event at the 1992 Winter Olympics in Albertville.
Long-track speed skating, usually simply referred to as speed skating, is the Olympic discipline of speed skating where competitors are timed while crossing a set distance. It is also a sport for leisure. Sports such as ice skating marathon, short-track speedskating, inline speedskating, and quad speed skating are also called speed skating.
Long track speed skating has been featured as a sport in the Winter Olympics since the first winter games in 1924. Women's events were added to the Olympic program for the first time in 1960 Squaw Valley Olympics.
Hong Kong, a special administrative region (SAR) of the People's Republic of China, sent a delegation to compete at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy from 10 to 26 February 2006. The delegation competed under the formal name Hong Kong, China. This was the SAR's second appearance at a Winter Olympic Games, and the delegation consisted of a single athlete, short track speed skater Han Yueshuang. Entered in three events, her best performance was 18th in the women's 1,000 metres race.
The 10,000 metres speed skating event was part of the speed skating at the 1928 Winter Olympics programme. The competition was held on Tuesday, February 14, 1928.
The 500 metres speed skating event was part of the speed skating at the 1932 Winter Olympics programme. The competition was held on Thursday, February 4, 1932. Sixteen speed skaters from four nations competed.
The 1500 metres speed skating event was part of the speed skating at the 1932 Winter Olympics programme. The competition was held on Friday, February 5, 1932. Eighteen speed skaters from six nations competed. Like all other speed skating events at this Olympics the competition was held for the only time in pack-style format, having all competitors skate at the same time.
The 5000 metres speed skating event was part of the speed skating at the 1932 Winter Olympics programme. The competition was held on Thursday, February 4, 1932. Eighteen speed skaters from six nations competed. Like all other speed skating events at this Olympics the competition was held for the only time in pack-style format, having all competitors skate at the same time.
The 500 metres speed skating event for women was part of the demonstration sport programme of the 1932 Winter Olympics. The competition was held on Monday, February 8, 1932.
The 1000 metres speed skating event for women was part of the demonstration sport programme of the 1932 Winter Olympics. The competition was held on Tuesday, February 9, 1932.
The 1500 metres speed skating event for women was part of the demonstration sport programme of the 1932 Winter Olympics. The competition was held on Wednesday, February 10, 1932.
The 500 metres speed skating event was part of the speed skating at the 1936 Winter Olympics programme. The competition was held on Tuesday, 11 February 1936. Thirty-six speed skaters from 14 nations competed.
The 10,000 metres speed skating event was part of the speed skating at the 1936 Winter Olympics programme. The competition was held on Friday, 14 February 1936. Thirty speed skaters from 14 nations competed.
The 500 metres speed skating event was part of the speed skating at the 1948 Winter Olympics programme. The competition was held on Saturday, 31 January 1948. Forty-two speed skaters from 15 nations competed.
The 10,000-metre speed skating event was part of the speed skating at the 1956 Winter Olympics programme. It was the last speed skating contest at this Games. The competition was held on naturally frozen ice on the Lake Misurina. It was held on Tuesday, 31 January 1956, from 10 a.m. to 3:15 p.m. Thirty-two speed skaters from 15 nations competed.
The 10,000 metres speed skating event was part of the speed skating at the 1960 Winter Olympics programme. It was the last speed skating contest at this Games. The competition was held on the Squaw Valley Olympic Skating Rink and for the first time at the Olympics on artificially frozen ice. It was held on Saturday, February 27, 1960. Thirty speed skaters from 15 nations competed.
The Netherlands competed at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia from 7 to 23 February 2014. The Dutch team was the largest Dutch delegation at a Winter Olympics, with 41 competitors that participated in bobsleigh, short track speed skating, snowboarding, and speed skating.
Florence Hurd was a Canadian speed skater. She lived in or near Copper Cliff, Ontario, Canada.
